A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved receptacle for keeping the contents of a beer keg (or other similar large beverage container) cold at locations where electrical refrigeration is not available.
B. Description of the Art
It is very common for beverages to be purchased in large, generally cylindrical containers such as kegs and jugs. While the beverage stored in such containers can be kept chilled by electric refrigerators, this type of refrigeration is usually not available at outdoor locations such as parks and beaches. The possibility of cooling off certain beverages with an ice cube in the drink is not a practical alternative for beer (and some other drinks) because most individuals dislike the taste of watered down beer. For this reason, some individuals have resorted to using garbage cans or large wash tubs to create makeshift ice baths for the kegs or jugs. Such ice baths are of some value, but they suffer from a number of problems. First, because they are single walled metal receptacles, they are very bad insulators. The ice in the bath can quickly melt on hot summer days, and the temperature of the ice bath and beer (or other beverage) can rise as a result.
Further, when the container is fairly full, it is often in direct contact with the bottom of the tub, which in turn can be in direct contact with the ground. On a hot sandy beach the heat from the ground can be transmitted through the metal bottom of the tub to the bottom of the container. This problem is made much worse because many beer kegs are designed so that the beer which is about to be delivered from the keg is drawn off only from the bottom of the keg.
Another problem can occur if the container drifts towards a side wall of the ice bath. If this occurs, in addition to the fact that the container will not be fully surrounded by cold water, one side of the container may be in contact with a metal surface. This creates yet another inefficiency.
Another problem with these makeshift receptacles is that when the keg or other container is nearly empty, it may float and then tip on its side. This can cause contamination of the beer tap unit if the tap tips into the unsanitary ice water.
It can therefore be seen that a need has existed for an improved way of chilling beverage containers such as beer kegs at sites where electrical refrigeration equipment is not available.